A Reprieve
by Fire in the hole
Summary: The trial is over. Enma has been found guilty, and Koenma is the new King of Reikai. Botan seeks Kurama's help to cheer up two lonely spirits and offer them a respite from all the troubles in the Spirit World. Hinted Koenma/Ayame & Kurama/Botan, One-shot


**A REPRIEVE  
**

It was over.

The trial saw his father's impeachment from the royal seat, immediately followed by his banishment from the Spirit World. He had been a cunning one; he was able to abuse his power for the past few centuries without anyone noticing. To cause havoc in the Human World and fabricate stories about the inhabitants of Demon World were simply unthinkable, but Enma had done them just so Reikai would be revered.

Staring blankly into space, Koenma recalled how he discovered the countless falsified reports in Enma's possession. It was when Sensui stole the tape that he realized there were discrepancies in their records, but never did he expect that his own father would be involved. Shock and disbelief clouded his judgment for a while, but in the end, he knew he couldn't let the lies pass and continue any longer, especially after he found out about the former king's transgressions against demons and humans from the other two worlds. It was his duty as the prince of the Spirit World to uphold justice for the innocent creatures his father had violated.

He sat back on his soft plush chair, moaning softly as he forced his tensed muscles to relax. He had just finished more than half of the paperwork that night, only a couple thousand more and he'd be good to go. He almost regretted exposing his father's dirty tricks; the workload had increased tenfold since the trial, not counting the urgent files that needed his attention when the barrier between the human and demon worlds was taken down.

He didn't know what to do. He was only trained to be a bratty prince, not take over the throne and the entire kingdom. He certainly didn't expect his father to be such a heartless, manipulative bastard for creating chaos in the three worlds.

The trial was over, yes, but the work had just begun. And they would keep piling up especially if he kept thinking about these trivial things. He let out a frustrated growl as he grabbed the royal stamp on his desk and readied himself for another grueling session of stamps and papers.

* * *

A heavy sigh escaped a tired, dark-haired ferry woman's lips as she stared at her employer – and newly-appointed ruler of the Spirit World -- King Koenma. Her eyes took in the hunched form of her king. He was so small that he'd always be mistaken for a talking and screaming toddler (which he was), yet in his shoulders laid a very big and heavy responsibility to rule the kingdom. It was hardly anything the people of Reikai had ever expected, but Koenma had stood up to the challenge and was, in fact, doing marvelously. They had expected him to be harder to handle -- after all, the workload quadrupled since the previous ruler was kicked out of the palace, and the former prince was not one to handle stress calmly and gracefully -- but they only saw a new ruler hell bent on completing his tasks. He didn't speak much, and when he did, his words would be short and clipped. It almost broke the ferry woman's heart to see the spark go out of Koenma. It was painfully obvious that he was hurting inside, and his pair of dull hazel eyes was not the only indication of this.

She saw his melancholic visage and knew that he was thinking about his banished father and the work ahead of him. It wasn't his fault that all these had happened. He had also been a victim, just as much as they were...maybe even more.

"Ayame?" a soft voice broke through her thoughts. She started a little, surprised and caught off-guard at the interruption. When she looked up, she saw worried amethyst eyes peering at her.

"Botan, hello. Good evening," she murmured, embarrassed at being caught spying on their boss.

Botan pursed her lips as she stared at Ayame's pale face. Her friend was hurting, she knew. And it was all because Koenma had been hurting, too. And even if she was well aware of this and didn't have to ask, she still did. "Ayame, what's wrong?"

The brunette shook her head vehemently, trying to work up a smile though her face felt like it would crack. "Nothing, Botan. Nothing at all. I'm fine." She tried to look at her friend straight in the eye, but she failed. Miserably. She didn't need to see to know that Botan was intensely staring at her, as if the blue-haired ferry girl was prying open her soul. After a few more seconds, she visibly wilted under Botan's heated gaze and relented. "It's just that… King Koenma," she paused, "he seems so down these days, and, well…," she shrugged helplessly, a testament to how she was feeling inside.

Botan's eyes strayed towards the new king some distance away, her expression darkening as she looked at Koenma's face. "That's just the way things are, Ayame. We can't do anything about it. He's pretty badly hurt by his father's betrayal, not to mention that his pride has also taken a beating. He has to set aside his feelings to function properly, but we all know he isn't a machine." Botan gave Ayame an encouraging smile, her voice taking on a lighter tone. "Ayame, don't worry! He'll get by like he always does. We'll just have to wait for him to be ready and support him through this ordeal. Just have faith, Ayame!"

Ayame lowered her eyes as she saw the truth in Botan's words. However, "I just wish we could do something to take his mind off his problems for a little while. He needs to cheer up. I don't --," her voice cracked, and she didn't continue. She felt two hot tears trail down her cheeks and furiously wiped them away.

"Ayame," Botan whispered. _You need to be cheered up as well, my friend,_ she thought. She was worried about Ayame, who was the more level-headed and logical spirit guide between the two of them. _She_ was the one who was the basket-case; the panicky, emotionally unstable former assistant to Urameshi Yuusuke. And to see Ayame down made her feel more vulnerable than ever.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. It was a plan well worth trying, just to lighten up two lonely souls that night. But first, she would need to talk with a certain redhead in Ningenkai and ask for his much-needed assistance.

* * *

"What the?! Waaahhh! Botan, put me down this instant! Bot--aaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Koenma held on for dear life. He had no idea what in the world was going on. One moment, he was in a frenzied state, stamping away barely-read documents piling up on his desk. The next, he felt the back collar of his royal wardrobe being grabbed by a strong hand, his eyes quickly covered with some cloth that smells faintly of a flower (a rose, perhaps?). He kicked, he punched, and he screamed, yet no one came to his aid. Where were those damn ogres when he needed them?!

He didn't realize that he had been positioned on an oar, or that his eyes had been freed from the darkness. He didn't, until he felt the cold night wind slapped across his face as the oar he was riding on took off to the sky. He looked up and immediately recognized the highly-bound blue hair of his most outrageous ferry girl, Botan, who was laughing gaily as she expertly maneuvered the oar to who-knows-where. He had been screaming at her to put him down when he felt himself falling, so he quickly groped for the wooden stick with his tiny hands and didn't loosen his grip for a moment.

"Botan, slow down, will you?" he yelled. Botan looked back and saw Koenma in his toddler form, red in the face with the effort of pulling himself up, his tiny form dangling from her beloved paddle. She only laughed at her boss, which made the mad king even redder, this time for a different reason. He was about to roar in anger when he heard a respectful whisper behind him.

"Here, King Koenma. You can ride on my oar with me."

He turned his head to see Ayame, a kind smile on her face, as she offered him a ride. He graciously accepted, seeing that Botan was still hysterically laughing at him. Besides, Ayame was a better oar driver, no question. She was gentler, kinder, and more matured than the younger ferry woman.

As soon as he settled in on Ayame's oar, he straightened his clothes and snapped at Botan in annoyance, "What the hell is going on?"

Botan had managed to gather up her wits by then and was chuckling softly. "You'll see, Koenma, sir." She winked.

He didn't like that wink. In fact, he didn't like the mischievous look on Botan's face. Not one bit. It usually meant trouble for him.

The girls took him to the newest restaurant in the market, which was obviously inspired by Yuusuke's ramen stand in the Human World. They served hell ramen -- also inspired by Yuusuke -- and it was the best food Koenma had ever tasted. He watched his two best ferry girls belt out a song he was a little familiar with (Botan was an awful singer; he had to remember to cover his ears the next time she took the stage, or a microphone). They went to the amusement park nearby, shot some hoops and won some prizes, and rode the tallest Ferris wheel in all of the three worlds. Getting on the most dizzying roller coaster with those mighty frightening endless loops didn't settle well with him, but the girls were insistent. He looked pale during the whole ride.

He was exhausted by the time Botan and Ayame gave in to his pitying pleas to rest.

They quietly made their way to The Peak, as they called the highest elevated mass of land in Reikai, and rested in silence. The Peak overlooked the whole kingdom of the Spirit World, and it was popular among the nobles and royalty for its relaxing, and not to mention romantic, atmosphere.

Koenma breathed in deeply, relishing the fresh air of the cold night as he gazed at the star-filled sky. He felt refreshed, and while he was not willing to admit it out loud, he was glad that Botan and Ayame were daring enough to "kidnap" him to have fun. He was sufficiently distracted, and it was all good. He had never felt this satisfied in such a long time.

"I'll go get us some drinks. I won't be long," Botan piped up, excusing herself as she scurried to leave the other two alone.

Not one of the remaining spirits spoke for a while, both of them enjoying the magnificent view from The Peak and letting the tender whispers of the breeze do the talking for them.

It was Koenma who broke the silence. "You've been worried about me," he said matter-of-factly, a ghost of a smile on his round face.

Ayame flushed, blinking guiltily at the smirking toddler beside her. "No…I mean, that was…Yes, I am…but…," she trailed off, mentally knocking herself senseless for her stammering. _You idiot! What are you saying?!_ She paused, looking away from Koenma's form. "I'm terribly sorry, King Koenma."

Koenma's eyebrow rose at the apologetic words and tone of the raven-haired beauty. He was baffled. Why would she apologize for being worried? He loved it when someone worried about him. It meant that someone cared. He was about to ask her why when Ayame continued, her voice faint.

"You have our support, King Koenma. Your father's cohorts and followers won't be able to appeal the cases against Enma in court, and even if they did, the people of Reikai will back you up. No matter what, we will always be here for you to lend our support and give you strength."

A pregnant pause reigned over them.

"Thank you, Ayame," Koenma said sincerely, his eyes bright. Ayame nodded at him and smiled happily, glad that she was finally able to voice out her sentiments. She still had so many things to say to the king, but they would have to wait for another day, or maybe even never. What mattered most was that the Koenma she knew and admired was slowly coming back. More problems would come later, but for now, they would take a breather and unwind.

Spying on the two from a nearby tree, Botan mentally gave herself a pat in the back for a job well done. Her eyes twinkled merrily as she took a sip from her juice box, bidding her time and unwilling to interrupt the two just yet.

* * *

"I'm really glad that you agreed to help out. Thank you so much! I owe you a lot."

"It's been my pleasure to be of assistance, Botan. Is Koenma feeling better now?"

"Yes, it seems so. He even smiled and joked with us on the way back to the palace. I'm happy that we were able to cheer him up." _Not to mention Ayame, too!_

Botan and Minamino Shuuichi -- Kurama to his friends -- were standing outside the crimson-haired lad's apartment. The perky ferry woman had knocked on his window a few minutes past midnight, but Kurama didn't really mind. It was the weekend and he had no work the next day. He was actually glad for the company. Hiei had been staying in Makai more frequently than usual (he idly wondered if something was blossoming between the ill-tempered demon and Mukuro), only checking in to see Yukina in the Kuwabara residence from time to time.

When Botan told him that Koenma hadn't been himself since the trial of his father ended, the fox demon wasn't surprised. It must have been hard for the former prince to take on the responsibility of being a king so suddenly, and be burdened by the repercussions of his father's actions at the same time. A slightly upset Botan let him in on her plans a few hours before. He was to snatch the king away from his work, run as fast as he could outside, and leave Koenma to the care of both Botan and Ayame. Being a former thief, he was used to quietly enter rooms unnoticed. And Koenma would be too busy to notice another presence in the room.

Kurama had been reluctant at first to play a part in Botan's plan; after all, making Koenma happy had certainly never been his goal. But the pretty ferry woman wormed her way into his _too human_ conscience. He was more than willing to admit that he was "getting soft," as Hiei would put it, but who could resist Botan's childish pout? He saw how the whole thing meant to her, and so he eventually agreed. "I'm pleased to hear that," he uttered softly.

Botan's smile got wider as she nodded. Hesitating only for a moment, she threw herself to the man in front of her, trusting and knowing in her heart that he would catch her.

He did.

Strong arms tenderly wrapped around her form. She felt Kurama's warmth surround her and sighed contentedly. Burying her face at the crook of his neck, she whispered, "You don't know how much it means to me, Kurama. Thank you very much for making me happy." She pulled back a bit and lightly touched her lips on the surprised kitsune's cheek. Then, faster than even Hiei could draw his katana, she materialized her oar and flew away, leaving poor, startled Kurama bewildered at the ferry girl's actions.

But he didn't mind one bit. He wasn't complaining at all. In fact, he was secretly delighted at the turn of events. He had always found Botan a little more than attractive, and her perkiness had endeared her to him over the past couple of years that they've known each other. She was a priceless asset to the Urameshi team with her knowledge and expertise, albeit she could be silly sometimes.

Kurama touched the lucky tingling cheek that Botan kissed, a small smile on his face. Turning the knob on the door of his unit, he made a mental note to invite the ferry woman for lunch the next day. "Good night, Botan," he murmured thoughtfully.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Edited some embarrassing mistakes; story now slightly longer than the original (but I can't say better). - 28th March 2009


End file.
